Following the American Civil Revolution, the federal government sought to grant protection of civil rights for those who have been neglected by it before: African Americans who have just been freed from slavery. This period was called the Reformation (between 1865 and 1877 when they tried to abolish slavery, trying to erase any sign of confederation).

The Compromise of 1877 (which is an informal, unwritten deal, settled the disputed presidential elections of 1876) put an abrupt end to this Reconstruction. In deed, Jim Corn Laws were passed by southern states as soon as the federal troops were withdrawn from there. These laws were state and local ones that were enacted between 1876 and 1965. They consented to segregation on public facilities but with a ?separate but equal? status for non-white racial groups, notably African Americans.

The latter was therefore forbidden to use same public accommodations as whites. New civil rights were consequently given to blacks. In fact, the Civil Rights Act of 1875 (passed by the US Congress) protected blacks from private acts of discrimination.